Lyoto Machida Explains Why He Bowed After Knocking Out Vitor Belfort

After his spectacular win of a not so much spectacular fight at UFC 224, Machida admitted after the fight that he didn’t really plan on throwing the kick, he merely saw the opportunity and took it.

“That’s just something that presented at the time, that I saw,” Machida said. “I was moving, I was faking, doing my stuff, and suddenly I saw the hole. I saw the opportunity and do my kick. And I did my kick.”

As Belfort slumped to the canvas, Machida calmly placed his hands on his hips, and looked to admire his work. But Machida says that the pose was entirely incidental and that he was merely waiting to see if Belfort was truly out and if the fight was over.

“So, in that moment, I was thinking that… I have to respect my opponents, because the martial arts teach everyone this, to respect,” Machida explained. “So respect, and at the same time bow to your opponent when you do something. Even if you win, or you lose, you have to respect your opponent. So, at that moment I put my hands on my waist, here, it was because I was expecting any reaction from Vitor Belfort. But as soon as I realized he couldn’t do anything, I just sit down on my knees and boy in respect of everything that he did for the sport and for the person, and for the professional.”

“I block everything,” Machida said, when asked if he was worried about Belfort after the KO. “But, I have to realize that I have to control the situation. When I have the control of the situation, I can stop or do something more. But normally, when I see my opponent, that he is laying down and, like, passed out… So, the thing that I have to do is just to stop and control everything and see. And that’s it. I don’t need to do anything. Because, if I do something and he’s passing out at that moment, I can’t affect him too much.”